Teebugg

Depending on what time you are seeing them, i would set it up the night before. Less noise to spook any birds nearby. I know some might say no big deal, but ive had birds use the same travel route day after day, set my blind up in the morning to hunt and they went the opposite way. Was it me? Who knows but ive since gone to setting it up the day before so i can put as many odds in my favor. Jw has the perfect setup idea. And turkeys really could care less about a blind. Ive had hens literally inches from the blind lol!

Phil from Maine

I couldn't get up there until Monday morning as I am working 12 hour night shifts until I go on my week of vacation opening day. I did not want to leave my blind up until I am ready to use it. So not a chance to get up there ahead of time. If tonight goes smooth at work I may try to get there in the early afternoon and that way I can have my decoys up there as well. I am not sure if I would scare any away from there or not as the road is tracked up every where in there. The only real pressure they get is from a few drive by hunters and the road is gated until next week. That means no pressure as most would not take the walk into there.

I walk a mile to get up to my blind and I scouted up another 2 miles and the birds have been all over the road. They have been from the start of it to where I had stopped and walked back. Most of the birds everyone has seen including myself is from 9:30 on as our weather changes that could change. So I am thinking getting started out by 6 or 6:30 and that should allow me time to set it up. Then I have a week to try and get one from it.. Thanks for the reply..

Phil from Maine

Well guys I set my blind up this morning.. I sat and called off and on for around 2 hours without any luck.. I decided to take a walk and when I step out of my blind a huge turkey steps out around 400 yards up the road from me. back in my blind I go. I called some more and he started heading my way! Now the waiting game has begun. I wait for around 20 minutes and he freezes up on me. I realize this is the turkey I tried most of my hunting season to get last year. I am thinking the wind blowing on my blind is what caused the bird to stop coming in. After waiting for a while I decided to shoot it from there.. What happens I miss it.. I watched fly a little ways and then run off into the woods.

Now he came without any hens.. What is the odds he may be coming back again? I am just wondering if I would be wasting my time on trying to get this one again? Any way here is my blind setup.. I think it was working quite well until I blew it this morning..

nchawkeye

Just gotta be patient, keep hunting, there are more in the area...

HatchieLuvr

How far was he when you shot at him? If he was far enough that you missed him completely or even only put a scant few pellets in him I doubt seriously he's going to pack up and head elsewhere! 3-4 days is an eternity in a turkeys world and he'll likely forget about it if you leave him alone for a week.

When you said he was first 400yds away, is that general spot where he spends alot of time? If so I wouldn't hesitate to move down to that area. Turkeys are EXTREMELY habit minded creatures and generally do the same thing in the same places several days in a row. Prime breeding/strutting/feeding areas are even frequented year after year by not only the same turkey but new turkeys as well. What one old gobbler likes about one area another replacement will as well in the furture. I hunted the same ranch in southern MO for over 2 decades and by the last decade I could kill birds without even taking calls out of the truck. I just came to know several spots that gobblers would frequent time after time.

A big powerline like that is prime strutting zone, gobblers like to see and be seen. They know the ladies can see and hear them for a long way and the boys like to get out there and "advertise" their wares. Plus they know they can see trouble approach well before the danger level rises too high, a few steps into the brush and they are safe again. BUT that also makes it VERY difficult to call those birds in such places. They know when they don't see what they know they've heard then there might be "a flaw in the slaw" so they hang up or become wary in such open spots. So you've got to use terrain and situations to your advantage. Don't hunt near 100-200+yd long, perfectly straight sections. Move to a bend in the ROW or an area where maybe that line crosses a ditch or hollow, a slight depression (or an equally tall ridge/hill), anything that would require a bird to actually get closer to look around the corner or down/up a change in elevation. Even large brushpiles like dozer piles the size of a house can be put into play. Just something that could possibly hide a turkey that would force the gobbler to come looking for what he knows he heard! You just have to determine the ambush spot you need to be in to capitalize on such movements.

And something I learned along the way as well, when hunting open areas you REALLY must be concerned with over calling. You can get away with a little more of that in the woods but out in the open you just have to rely on the faith that you know the turkey has heard you and EVENTUALLY he's likely to act on your calling. That's why I said what I did about trying to get them to come looking for you. We are already behind the 8-ball by trying to call them too us vs natures way whereby the hens go too the gobblers. If he can see 400yds in either direction and he knows the hen making that noise is out there within that area he can see and yet he doesn't see her or she's not moving, then he smells a rat and that's why they seemingly "hang up" alot of times!

That's why I LOVE turkey hunting, it's such an awesome version of "natures chess". In a game of hearing and eyesight the turkeys will win EVERYTIME but the hunter has the brains, wits and in the case of hunting the same area for many years, you actually have MORE experience in that area than does a 4-5yr old bird. I know without a doubt I killed many a son, grandson, great grandson etc during those 2 decades on that ranch in MO. Just remember what I said, what gpaw likes about an area, his great grandsons will likewise! (Same goes for deer honestly!) That's how "trophy holes" come to be known...

Go get that joker!
HL

Phil from Maine

Thanks guys..

Actually I am thinking I over shot him. I am using a goose gun and I put the bead right on top of his noggin without thinking it shoot high at close range. ( I was pretty excited about how big it actually was.) This yardage for that gun is fairly close range.. It was design to shoot geese on open water at somewhat longer ranges.

I really do not the general spot except that on the other side of my blind is where I have seen him before. I saw him there 4 times last year and only a few hens and jakes on the side of the hill. Just down below my blind is a corner in the road and a small stream the flows by. The turkeys are normally coming around the corner. That is what I had been expecting. I did not expect him to come out of there.

Also that rock wall acts like a barrier to them as well.

Also this line is hilly and curvey as it runs for 83 miles.. The area I choose is because it has no pressure on them at all right now. The road here is gated for 2 more weeks and then they open it up after grading and all that is complete. The turkeys are on the entire length of it.

We also have a problem of not very much in green grass right now. That alone has changed the hunting on us. We still have a small amount of snow and ice in the woods right now as well.. Just a strange year for us..

Phil from Maine

I had meant to add up on the other side of that hill is a flat spot that runs for quite a ways and the birds have been crossing on that as well. Mostly just past that long hill. I may go up there and set in the woods along the edge of it and see if I can get him on that side of it.

nchawkeye

You need to take that gun to the range and pattern it...Check it at 20 and 40 yards...

jmedenf

Phil, I hunt with a goose gun as well. My grandpa's Marlin Model 55 Goosegun with a 36 inch barrel. He killed many turkeys with it and I have killed many with it in the few years I have had it. To aid in aiming it, I found an original peep sight that fits it. That extra long barrel really helps when you really need it, but it will seek out every tree to smack against as you walk with it. I missed a nice tom the first year I had it, but have hit everything I aimed at with it since then.

Erno86

My aim point for a turkey with a shotgun, is at the base of his wattles; while having a good cheek weld.